Is this a bad idea?

"Slant6" (slant-6)
03/21/2016 at 22:08 • Filed to: None

My parents are surprisingly very on board with me taking the Dodge back with me to school. For those that don’t know I have a 1965 Dodge Dart with a slant 6. I go to school 200 miles away from home in Boone North Carolina.

I park at a remote lot, 2 miles away from my dorm. It’s pretty well guarded by university police. I’m not really worried about security, although it is a concern with a hood that doesn’t lock, thin glass windows, and old style locks.

The tires are a bit of a concern. They were used when we put them on back in 2010. Yeah, they’re dry rotted, and one of them won’t hold air longer than a month (I am not above carrying around a bicycle pump). But I don’t feel like buying new 13 inch tires if I plan on putting 15s on it eventually. But I don’t want to buy wheels now when I’m not driving it regularly.

It overheats sometimes when it’s hot out. I normally keep the heat on and windows open and it drives fine. Might get a better fan, which could help.

A friend in the drivers seat back in December, last time I had it running.

I’m sure the car will be fine, and it’d be a ton of fun to drive around, and take on the blue ridge parkway and stuff. My parents are on board, which really surprises me. They wouldn’t let me take it to high school 25 miles away, and now they’ll let me take it to college 200 miles away.

There is one of my friends here that is from Colorodo who daily drives a 1968 FJ40(?) Landcruiser. He has it just fine.

Any thoughts on this? The car is pretty beat up allready and cant’t get much worse. I won’t really do anything cool to it for a few years.

DISCUSSION (27)

slipperysallylikespenguins > Slant6
03/21/2016 at 22:18

You can get used tires(some are like new) at a junkyard for 10-20 dollars apiece to hold you over until you upgrade.

Slant6 > slipperysallylikespenguins
03/21/2016 at 22:21

That’s probably a good idea. It’s one of the bigger areas of concern.

Gone > Slant6
03/21/2016 at 22:22

Overheating could be a stuck thermostat or maybe needs a rad flush?

The tires would concern me the most. Try to work that out as soon as you can.

Slant6 > Gone
03/21/2016 at 22:22

I could probably get some used ones this week.

Slant6 > Gone
03/21/2016 at 22:23

I should just do the pump, thermostat and a fan just to be safe.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Slant6
03/21/2016 at 22:23

I drove my 4Runner (that had already blown up on me once) 1000 miles to school, and other than a tire issue(don’t cut corners), I did fine. Keep in mind that while it is a Toyota, it was treated like a neglected toy up until that point.

Slant6 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/21/2016 at 22:24

But that has doors and stuff. I guess I am worried about some punks trashing it.

Die-Trying > Slant6
03/21/2016 at 22:25

if it wont kill you to come out after class and find that somebody dragged their car down the side of it, mangling who knows what quarter panel. then go for it. most kids these days’ll just see some old car. they dont know or care that its worth something to YOU.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Slant6
03/21/2016 at 22:27

Hey. I want picks of that FJ40 please.

Slant6 > Die-Trying
03/21/2016 at 22:27

I mean, I run that same risk having it in the spot it’s in now at the warehouse I park it at. But it is increased when in a college town.

Slant6 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
03/21/2016 at 22:28

I’ll grab some tomorrow. He’s a bad ass. Driving a 40 something year old car from Colorado to NC is no small feat.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Slant6
03/21/2016 at 22:29

Lol “doors”. They are about as light as a Jeep door. If someone wanted something out of it, it wouldn’t take much effort at all. Plus, people trash whatever they can get their hands on. I know someone who had their Ranger torched.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Slant6
03/21/2016 at 22:30

He better hang on to that thing with the kung-fu group of — um, inappropriate metaphor.

Slant6 > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
03/21/2016 at 22:31

That sounds extreme.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Slant6
03/21/2016 at 22:34

White trash will be white trash. They torched it and pushed it into a ravine.

Die-Trying > Slant6
03/21/2016 at 22:41

you run that risk taking it ANYWHERE. its a cool old car. you dont see them often. but on the same token, dont take dumb chances if you dont need to.

take some minor precautions, when and where you park, and it should be fine.

d15b > Die-Trying
03/21/2016 at 23:07

This.

Make sure it is parked in a well-lit area. Keep valuables outside of a car, don’t be a crime of opportunity.

BruceS85 > Slant6
03/21/2016 at 23:10

Buy tires. You don’t want to mess with crappy tires.

Slant6 > BruceS85
03/21/2016 at 23:13

I’ll pick up some used ones.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Slant6
03/22/2016 at 00:05

You’ve got nothing to lose, I have to admit, sometimes I’ve gone a whole season without checking the oil or the air in the tires in my 66 malibu, but not on ancient tires, get some cheap 13"s. 15" rims of that bolt pattern are hard to come by in a rwd offset. Does it still have lefty-tighty wheel nuts on one side? it’s a good thing to let the tire shop know before hand, just in case a young whippersnapper finds out the hard way for you.

For Sweden > Slant6
03/22/2016 at 01:14

This is an excellent excuse to get a bigger radiator and some electric fans

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > Slant6
03/22/2016 at 06:32

Throw some tires on it, add an electric fan, and go.

Gone > Slant6
03/22/2016 at 06:41

Used tires should work temporarily. If the rad is old/original it’s probably gunked up. A rad shop can boil it out pretty cheap. Don’t worry about flushing it, should have clarified about how to clean it. Fan shouldn’t be an issue unless it’s a clutch fan and the clutch is dead. Can upgrade to a clutch fan fairly cheap. Or get a MarkV or Taurus 3.0 electric setup from the yard. Cheap and can wire to a switch fan to make it easy or can add a thermostat module for automatic control.

Slant6 > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer
03/22/2016 at 07:27

The lasthma person to put tires on it in 2010 is now dead. He knew about lefty tighty. I’ll probably put it on blocks and take the wheels in myself.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Slant6
03/22/2016 at 09:28

What everyone else is saying: clean or replace the rad, check the water pump, replace tires, and go. If nothing else I can get up to Boone in like an hour and a half.

Slant6 > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
03/23/2016 at 16:57

Kinja'd!!!

Forgot to get an outside one. Just hopped in with him at a stop sign.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > Slant6
03/23/2016 at 16:58

Mmm dat dash